1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a suspension for a disc drive apparatus used in an information processing apparatus, such as a personal computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A hard disc drive apparatus (HDD, hereinafter referred to simply as a disc drive apparatus) is used in an information processing apparatus, such as a personal computer. The disc drive apparatus comprises a magnetic disc that is rotated by a spindle motor, a carriage turnable around a pivot, etc. A suspension for the disc drive apparatus (hereinafter referred to simply as a suspension) is provided on an arm of the carriage.
The suspension has a load beam fixed to the carriage, a flexure fixed overlapping the load beam, etc. A slider is attached to a tongue portion that is formed on the flexure. The slider is swingable in a roll direction or a pitch direction around a dimple that is formed on the load beam. The slider is provided with an element (transducer) for reading or writing data.
The flexure is fixed in a predetermined position on the load beam by laser welding or the like. In contrast, the slider is fixed the tongue portion of the flexure with an adhesive or the like with the dimple of the load beam as a reference. Further, the flexure is formed having pads that are electrically connected to terminals of the slider.
In order to ensure the connection between the terminals of the slider and the pads, the respective positions of the terminals and the pads should be regulated accurately. Unless the pads of the flexure are accurately positioned with respect to the dimple of the load beam, a dislocation may possibly be caused between the terminals of the slider and the pads. If the dislocation occurs, the connection (or bonding) between the terminals of the slider and the pads is subject to a failure.
Locating holes are formed in the conventional load beam and flexure, individually. In fixing the flexure to the load beam, locating pins are inserted into the locating holes, individually. The load beam and the flexure are positioned with respect to each other by the locating pins. Suspensions of this type are described individually in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-163904 (Patent Document 1) and Jpn. Pat. No. 3684351 (Patent Document 2).
The suspension described in Patent Document 1 has first and second locating holes. These locating holes are formed in positions near respective proximal portions of the load beam and the flexure. Accordingly, the distance from each locating hole to pads is great. Even if the load beam and the flexure are positioned by the locating holes, therefore, a dislocation may possibly be caused between the pads and the terminals of the slider.
The suspension described in Patent Document 2 also has first and second locating holes. These locating holes are formed individually between respective side parts of a proximal portion of load beam and a proximal portion of the flexure. Also in this suspension, the distance from each locating hole to the pads is great. Even if the load beam and the flexure are positioned by the locating holes, therefore, a dislocation may possibly be caused between the pads and the terminals of the slider.
FIG. 8 shows a conventional suspension 100. The suspension 100 has first and second locating holes 103 and 104, which serve to position a load beam 101 and a flexure 102 with each other. The first locating hole 103 is formed in respective longitudinally intermediate portions of the load beam 101 and the flexure 102. A first locating pin 105 can be inserted into the locating hole 103. The second locating hole 104 is formed in an extending portion 106 that protrudes from a distal portion of the flexure 102. A second locating pin 107 can be inserted into the locating hole 104.
The load beam 101 and the flexure 102 are positioned with respect to each other by the locating pins 105 and 107. The load beam 101 and the flexure 102 are fixed together by laser welding or the like. If a cutoff portion 108 is cut, thereafter, the extending portion 106 is separated from the flexure 102. A tongue portion 111 to which a slider 110 is attached is provided on the distal portion of the flexure 102. The tongue portion 111 is provided with pads 112. The pads 112 are electrically connected to terminals of the slider 110. The slider 110 is fixed to the tongue portion 111 based on the position of a dimple 113 as a reference. The dimple 113 is provided on the load beam 101.
The conventional suspension 100 shown in FIG. 8 has the second locating hole 104, which is formed on the extending portion 106. Since the extending portion 106 projects beyond the distal end of the load beam 101, the distance from the second locating hole 104 and each pad 112 is great. Even if the load beam 101 and the flexure 102 are positioned by the locating hole 104, therefore, a dislocation may possibly be caused between each pad 112 and each terminal of the slider 110.
Since the extending portion 106 of the suspension 100 shown in FIG. 8 projects greatly from the distal end of the flexure 102, moreover, the overall length of the flexure 102 including the extending portion 106 is great. A large number of flexures 102 are simultaneously manufactured by etching one metal plate. The conventional flexures 102 each having the extending portion 106 that can be obtained from one metal plate are fewer than flexures that have no extending portion 106. Thus, the flexures 102 have a problem of high cost.